Supporting both youth music education and public space for recreation and culture, the program was a mixed-use hybrid, combining academic space, studios, a black box public performance space, and academy administration.

​

Containing the public lobby, cafe', black box performance, and a performer prep mezzanine within a 2 1/2 story volume, the design invites a high level of public participation.  With admistrative functions off of this main lobby, building entry and visitation during the day can be monitored.  At the same time, an exterior stair provides pedestrian access to a prefunction balcony on evenings of public performance.

​

Upper floor academic and practice room functions are presented in individual fashion, with window boxes projecting musical activities into public view.

​

In a city hungry for public space, the roof is accessible both for school recreation, and for weekend public use via separable stair and elevator access.

​

The building's architecture combines a midnight blue zinc, translucent plastic insulating panels, and striated glass at varying levels of translucency, the vertical cadence of the glazing and the zinc providing an architectural form of musicality.